New Callippe Siver Spot colony

[Nigel Venters]

Sally,
It's not uncommon for butterflies to lay on dead foliage, especially ground
feeding species, and especially Fritillaries. In UK we have an extreme
example. The Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)It never lays any
ova on it's foodplant, it lays on the bark of trees near where it's
foodplant (Viola ssp.) grow, the lava hatches out soon after but does not
feed at all during the remainder of it's first year, overwintering in a
crevice in the bark. In the spring it awakens and decends to the forest
floor and wanders around until it finds violets. You may think this is a
bit hit & miss, however in favourable habitats (near where I live in
Hampshire, UK) this butterfly some years is so common you can see hundreds
in a few minutes walk. By the way some violets are annuals, mostly (but not
all!) of the Pansy group, other violets are perennial.
Nigel